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Part-time workers can be lifesavers when things get crazy. Maybe you're coming up on a very busy time of year for installations. Or maybe a key employee has asked to work only two days next week, so you need someone to fill in. And how about your plans to work evenings and weekends to catch up. If the regular staff can't make it, you'll need people who can.
In all these situations and more, contingent employees can mean the difference between success and failure. Finding great workers, though, is often easier said than done.
Your traditional "help wanted" newspaper ad competes for the best talent against other employers mining a dwindling supply of prospects.
"The market for part-time and temporary workers is getting tighter and tighter," warns Mel Kleiman, a Houston-based management consultant who helps employers with their hiring practices. "Today there really is a war for talent."
Locating Good Workers
Here's some good news: You can find great part-timers by casting a wide net. Consider these categories of workers:
1) Retirees
"Retired people who want to work for a little extra money and to keep in touch with the world are a good source of part-time workers," says Ian Jacobsen, a Morgan Hill, Calif.-based management consultant. "One benefit is that their flexible schedules allow them to adjust to the hours you need. And they have learned how to work, so you can forgo some of the training students require."
Sources: Ask your local senior centers and AARP offices for leads. "We have also had success finding older workers by posting signs for 'mall walkers,'" Kleiman says. "Those are older individuals who get their daily exercise by walking in their local malls. They are often open to suggestions for part-time jobs."
2) Students
"Many employers find part-time workers by linking up with high schools and colleges," reports Fred Martels, president of People Solution Strategies in Chesterfield, Mo. But avoid the temptation to hire anyone who applies: Many young people have not yet developed a work ethic or the ability to interact well with others. So it's important to communicate your values in terms of customer service and hire only those who understand it. "It is important to be selective and for people to know that you are choosy," Martels adds. "Let them feel it's special to go to work at your business."
Be aware that students often need schedule flexibility so they can juggle classes and a job. "College professors are generally unsympathetic when a student asks to take a mid-term or final exam at a different time than the rest of the class because of work," Jacobsen warns.
Sources: Most colleges and universities have student employment offices where jobs may be listed. Student publications and online job boards are also potential sources for help-wanted ads.
3) Mothers with young children
If you're overloaded with paperwork because of a rush period, finding additional office help can be easy. "Mothers very often like to work part-time for a little diversion from the bottle, diaper and baby talk routine," Jacobsen says.
"And most are always in need of extra money, as bringing children into the world always seems to be more costly than planned."
Like retirees, mothers usually have a history of work, so they don't have to be taught what it's all about. You will need to offer some schedule flexibility so they can take care of their family responsibilities.
Sources: Jacobsen suggests seeking out local organizations of mothers. One example in California is Las Madres (www.lasmadres.org.). "Also, if you have full-time employees who have not returned from maternity leave, they might be interested in working parttime," Jacobsen says.
Finding More Workers
Creative searching can uncover still more great part-time workers. Consider these sources:
• Previous employees. Maintain a list of individuals who have either worked part-time or on a temp basis before. And include those who have worked full-time and left on good terms: Many will welcome part-time work.
"The best part-time people are the ones who worked for you in the past," Kleiman says. "You do not have to retrain them." One more thing: Treat your part-time and temporary workers well, because you may need their services again.
• Current workers. Your current employees know your workplace culture and your emphasis on customer service. So ask for references to parttimers. "Be clear what you are looking for," Martels suggests. "Emphasize that you want only the best part-timers with a work ethic in sync with your own."
• Great workers at other businesses. Are you impressed by a salesperson at another business or an incredibly organized office manager.
Kleiman suggests recruiting them: "Give these individuals cards that say 'I appreciate the great service. If you are looking for an extra shift, I need someone part-time.' This technique has worked really well for me."
• The Internet. The Internet has become a critical link between employers and work candidates. "One of my favorite sources for part-timers is Craigslist," Kleiman says. This Web site (www.craigslist.com) posts employment (and other) classifieds for 450 cities worldwide. It certainly helps you cast a wide net: The service claims it receives more than 750,000 new job listings each month. And the listings are free, or provided at very low cost in the case of a few cities.
Hire the Best Finding a resource for prospects is one thing; inspiring them to want to work for you is another. One way to attract the best candidates is to list the benefits of working at your business, then emphasize these benefits in your advertising.
Maybe you offer daytime work hours.
Your pitch might be, "Be home when your kids are home." Do you provide health benefits. Then your pitch might be, "Obtain protection for you and your family." How about attractive working conditions. Then try, "Come join our friendly family."
Of course, you don't want to attract just any prospect. You know from experience that some new employees will please customers and help fatten your bottom line. Others will turn customers away and tarnish your reputation.
You can reduce the risk of hiring a dud with smart interview practices.
Assessing each candidate's enthusiasm for work is perhaps job No. 1. "Ask the applicants what attracts them to the sort of work you need done and what they find less attractive," Jacobsen suggests.
"You want to create a situation where they are sufficiently interested in and committed to what you have to offer that they will do whatever they can to honor their commitments to you."
And how about reliability. "A good part-time worker can be counted on to show up for work as scheduled," Jacobsen says. "When screening prospects, ask about the various time commitments in their lives and ask how they will fit your work into their schedules."
Has the prospect worked part-time before. Jacobsen suggests mining the individual's track record for clues to future performance. "Ask what personal situations have mandated adjustments to their work schedules, and how they went about making those adjustments."
People skills are equally essential. Does the prospect make eye contact. Take real interest in other people. Open up with a hearty hello when approached. All of these characteristics are essential to business success. "You can identify a lot of favorable behaviors in an interview," Martels notes. "Watch the body language of your candidates."
Avoid Problems
Make sure you and your new hire are on the same wavelength when it comes to employment expectations. "Many people will accept part-time positions in the hope that they become full-time," Jacobsen notes. "Unless it is possible for a job to expand in that way, these are people to avoid. No sooner are they trained and ready to become productive when they get an offer of fulltime work elsewhere and they leave."
Prepare now for the time when you need part-time workers. Rushing the hiring process too often results in regrets. There are plenty of fish in the sea for those who cast the right net.
Your real challenge is filtering the candidates down to those who will help rather than hinder your business.
"There may never be a shortage of available employees," Kleiman notes.
"But there will always be a shortage of great ones."